Goodbye, Charlie
by Luminous107
Summary: One-shot! Akari visits Charlie in prison to talk about where they stand and how things will be. Changes are heading their way and they don't seem to be taking them too well. Charlie must accept his new life behind bars while Akari must get accustomed to seeing him this way and deal with how this will affect his family. Will they accept their new changes or hold on to their pasts?


**Disclaimer: hey guys! Sorry I wasn't able to respond to your reviews from 'Rio the Stylist,' I got in trouble at work the next day and I was really frustrated throughout the whole weekend so I wasn't in the mood in interacting with people. So let me make it up to you with another story. Unfortunately this one isn't Anxiety or Diamondshipping but I still hope you enjoy it. This fic is based off and kinda takes place from a certain chapter in 'Light of Victory.' I don't own the characters here, otherwise Zexal would be on FOREVER! Enjoy!**

**Goodbye Charlie**

Akaria arrived at the Heartland Security Prison, she had a feeling that this day would come but she had hoped that it wouldn't be anytime soon, if anything, at all. It was her first time but she didn't care if she had to be there or not, she wanted to, what choice did she have? Upon entering, she saw the hearts everywhere from the city's theme, they made the place look like it was mocking its inmates. It wasn't arriving at the prison that was difficult for her, it was walking out that nerved her the most.

"_How will he take it_?" she asked herself, looking all over the security prison, "_does he deserve this? Because I knew he'd end up in here someday?_"

Akari went up to the counter and checked herself in, "Charlie McCoy," she stated and was received the papers to sign, the guard opened the doors to let her in.

…

The place didn't look so bad but it was still a prison nonetheless. The place looked clean and very well-organized, the inmates would be serving their sentences in not the most crucial but the most boring way. Staring at four walls that would seem like they were closing in on them but with their minds playing tricks, one could snap by it. From what the papers said, the prison's reviews praised how everything was in order and how the inmates were always in check. Good behavior was still a thing but at the same time, the Heartland Police knew which inmates were to be trusted.

Akari walked down the hallways past many other inmates, some of which who whistled and howled at her while others tried flirting with her from behind the bars. She scoffed, these were all teenage boys who threw their lives away for what they mistook as 'fun.' Many of these inmates were just two-bit criminals, thieves, notorious crime lords, hackers, anything petty that deserved to be contained but nothing _too _offensive.

"_They're all so young_," Akari thought, "_that Shark kid could've been in here too…Yuma, you did him a favor_."

A few more cells down and she finally arrived. The little area she was in was quiet, the only thing in her sight was a cowboy hat on the ground. Akari walked closer to the bars and looked right in until she saw him. There he was, facing the other direction with his eyes looking outside. He was lucky they gave him the cell with the window, at least he didn't have to make up an imaginational picture with the four walls. He sensed Akari's presence and slightly turned his head to his right.

"Charlie…?" Akari managed to whisper.

"Akari," Charlie responded softly, "didn't think I'd be so fortunate to see you again."

She didn't say anything, this was the first time she saw him in so long that she couldn't find any words to speak. The last time she saw Charlie was during the World Duel Carnival when he faced Yuma on top of that train. Then she remembered him leaving her again, for another adventure no less. Just by looking at Charlie's full face staring directly at her now behind those bars broke her heart a little. This was an image she feared greatly for him, one she had hoped wouldn't come true.

"I heard about what happened," Akari finally spoke out, "Kaito was the one who turned you in…I'm sor-"

"No need for apologies," Charlie interrupted her, bringing up his hand to signal it, "after spending some time here, I've been thinking."

"…About what?"

"That maybe it _was_ time I turned myself in, maybe it was time I stopped running from the law and started to live a gamble-free life."

Akari stepped a little closer as he continued to talk, his arms resting on the bars, "that kid and his dragon are just like a card ejector and security staff at a casino, they let you know when you've had enough and force you out when you don't listen to reason."

"Um, that's a bartender and his customer."

"Oh, well you know what I'm saying here, the point is that I don't like being here but I deserve to be here."

Charlie stuck out his arm and brought it up to Akari's face, touching the left side of it.

"Maybe if I'd stop running from what I called 'boredom' for adventures out there than maybe…we could've…"

"Charlie…" Akari closed her eyes and touched his hand, "you…you…"

She sniffled as she tried to get the words out but Charlie interrupted her.

"I was happy enough to at least see my niece May," he said, "her mother, my sister, apparently wasn't, they both saw my capture on the news."

"Charlie-"

"If only I had stayed and focused on others, like my family…and _you_, maybe…"

"Charlie," Akari took his hand and brought it down, he looked down and saw the gesture only to look back up and see his former lover with a stern expression.

"Charlie," Akari repeated herself, "…you're an _idiot_."

The gambler knew she wasn't being playfully sarcastic as he heard her continue.

"You're only saying this cuz' you're in here, you wouldn't be thinking that way if you were on the outside. If you were, then you wouldn't have left me behind, you wouldn't even let _May _behind either, if we really meant anything to you then you wouldn't have been on the run for _who_ _knows_ how long."

"Akari-"

"No, don't, I don't want you in there any more than _you _do but since you are then you know it's for the best."

Charlie looked down and slowly took his hand back, "I deserve to be here…"

"Yeah, you do, we knew this would happen one way or another, we just didn't want it to."

"But Akari, I'm already here, there _is no _adventure anymore, I can't go anywhere, I won't leave you this time."

"Do you think I _want _to see you in here? Especially with the sentence they gave you?"

"Well May-"

"And _May_, do you want _her_ to grow up watching Uncle Charlie grow old in a jail cell?"

"I'm in here because your brother's friend threw me in here!"

Akari was taken aback by Charlie's yelling voice, he breathed heavily but calmed down when he realized it.

"I'm sorry, I didn-"

"That's right, of _course _you didn't mean it, you care about Yuma too much to insult him."

He nodded, "his friend…that dragon, they did the right thing bringing me here, it gives me time to think about my past, my actions…us…"

That's when Akari's head popped up, "did you say, _us_?"

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, you now know where to find me, maybe we can…start over again."

She shook her head, "Charlie…there is no 'us'."

The gambler frowned, "what? What do you mean? I thought we had something?"

"Yeah, we _had_ something, we don't anymore, whatever it was that we had went _with you_ the second time you left me."

"But…so you…won't wait for me?"

"How _can _I, Charlie?!" Akari's eyes started filling with tears, she had hoped that this wouldn't come up but in the back o f her head she knew it was inevitable, "I waited for you for over a year when you left the second time, you didn't so much as send me a postcard, or a letter even, how can I wait for you from the outside…when you wouldn't even see me when you were free?!"

That stung a little, Charlie gripped the bars as he took that piece of news but Akari was just getting started, "Charlie," she hesitated but managed to get the courage to finish that sentence, "I…I'm sorry."

Charlie was too hurt to say anything to that, he turned around and paced to the middle of his cell.

"…You…met someone, didn't you?"

He wiped his tears so that she wouldn't see him but Akari knew that he was hurt from hearing that. she was even more shocked that he saw right through her. But given their history, it shouldn't _have _to be, they were practically finishing off each other's sentences.

"I'm sorry…I didn't want you finding out this way," she said, "but I couldn't let you go this whole time setting yourself up for disappointment…even though you did the same to me."

"What's his name?" Charlie asked, his tone didn't seem that of sadness but more on the curious and stern side.

"Is it important?"

"I just want to know him too."

Akari wiped her eyes, she was confused, "_he's taking it pretty well_," she thought, "um, maybe I can bring him he-"

"No, of course not _now_ but, I still want to know him, see what he's like."

"Why?"

Charlie slightly turned his head to the right this time, hinting a small smile, "_someone_ needs to teach him how to handle you."

Akari fumed for a second but saw the charm in his smirk so she smiled herself. That was always Charlie, never hating anyone, always enjoying life for whatever the circumstances and obstacles thrown his way. Her father's influence really rubbed off on him, and that in turn rubbed off on Yuma. It looked like jail was starting to take effect on him, the way it does on the most positive of people. But then again, it could just be because of the stage of bargaining for the good fortune of a possible early release.

"Promise me this," he said, "make sure he's not a thief or any other kind of criminal, I wouldn't want you getting hurt for making the same mistake."

She in turn slowly nodded, she was relieved that it was handled well but Akari couldn't help but feel guilty that Charlie automatically knew about the other man in her life. He pretty much _had_ to accept that, what choice did they have?

"This will be one of those things I'm going to have to think about while I'm in here," Charlie stated, "and no, I don't mean that in a vengeful-stalker way, I mean that if you're happy then who am I to keep you?"

Akari smiled, she walked back close to the cell and he paced it back right in front of her, "thank you for understanding," she said, "I just didn't want to conflict anything between us, I thought we would part on bad terms, but…"

"Like I said, this is my fault, but now I know that once-uh, if I ever get out, I can live my life differently."

"But that will be a long time from now, even May will be old enough to know what's really happening, you can't sugarcoat it for her forever."

"I know, and I just wish I had repaired things with you as well, Akari."

He took her hand and looked directly at her, "I'll miss you, and I'll never forget you."

"You won't," she responded, "I'll try to visit whenever possible."

Charlie abruptly dropped her hand, "no, at least, not now, I need time to move on, I don't want to see you for awhile."

Akari was a little hurt by that comment, "But-"

"Please, don't make this any harder than it already is, I don't want to push you away any further and completely lose you, but I do want to give you a proper goodbye…if you'll let me."

She knew what he meant by that but didn't seem fazed by it. This time _she _would be playing the role of Charlie if she consented, he wasn't going anywhere anyway, "ok Charlie, but things will be different this time, _I'll_ be the one walking away once we part."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Within a few seconds, Akari's lips made contact with Charlie's and their kiss soon ended.

"Goodbye Charlie, watch yourself here."

"Goodbye Akari, I'll miss you."

As she started walking, she felt her arm being tugged and saw that Charlie was still hanging on to it but slowly let it go as her steps distanced from him.

"Hey Akari," he called out to her, "when you can, bring Yuma here sometime, and tell him to bring his friend too."

…

Akari signed and walked her way out of the jailhouse, looking back at it one more time. The image of Charlie behind bars was still fresh in her mind and it would stay that way for as long as he was in there. She couldn't help but let a tear escape her eye knowing that that was Charlie's life now, sitting in a four-wall room for a very long time that could make him crazy. If they ever decide to let him out then he wouldn't be the same as he was, he won't be as positive maybe. But then again, as she thought, this was a place to rejuvenate criminals, to make them think about their actions, a big time-out for adults even. Charlie stole cards for a good reason but theft is theft no matter how you look at it. The one you steal for can live with that guilt but Akari knew that no one would tell May that, her uncle being locked up was enough for her and everyone else to deal with.

She walked a few more steps until she came face-to-face with a man with silver-white hair and piercing eyes.

"So, how did it go?"

"…It went well," Akari replied as she sniffled again, "we've said our goodbyes…guess it's time I moved on."

"If this isn't a good idea to you then-"

"No, don't, I'll be okay, it's Charlie that I'm worried about, what if he's in there forever?"

"He won't be, but he still needs to do his time, it wouldn't be fair for you if you had to wait too long knowing that all that time apart would be too much for you both to handle, it just wouldn't be the same."

Akari looked back at the jailhouse and then back to Chris, "trust me," he said, "I know what it's like to have someone leave you for a long time and come back differently, it takes them just as long to realize their mistakes and make them right."

"You and Kaito…your father," Akari looked to the ground, "you two wouldn't be friends anymore if you two didn't work things out, you'd still resent your father if he still lived for revenge."

She stepped closer until she was close enough to him, "I'll miss him, Chris."

"Of course you will, but there comes a time when things change and other times when they _have _to change, but there's always something positive that results in the end."

Driven by his wise words, Akari smiled and hugged him, burying her face in his embrace where she silently sobbed.

**The End**

**A/N: There was really no question about it, Oldersiblingshipping seems to be getting a bit of recognition and I decided to do my little spin on it. And with a touch of Light of Victory, that was fun going back to, don't you think? Thanks for reading everyone, now if I can have your attention please, this goes to all of you, there are a few things I need you to do, life or death situation here lol but seriously, I hope you enjoy this. Since Zexal is now over(I'm crying in the corner as you're reading this) review, of course, but also check out my 'Epic Rap Battles Of TCG!' for its latest battle in honor of the show's finale. I STRONGLY advise you to. And finally, I'm coming back to the Zexal archive! With a new multi-chapter Zexal fic! I was re-reading 'Light Of Victory' last week and I remembered how much fun I had while writing it so I decided to return with this new idea! I won't be giving away too much but it's similar to the rap battles I'm currently doing but different and I hope you'll enjoy it when it's uploaded, it involves requests. I'll try to blend and fit how the show ended as well as my crazy universe so thanks again and I'll see you all soon! **


End file.
